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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670862">The Distance Between Souls</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadja_Lee/pseuds/Nadja_Lee'>Nadja_Lee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Loss, M/M, Moving On, Parabatai Bond, Parabatai Feels, Platonic Soulmates, Religious Imagery &amp; Symbolism, Sad, Soul Bond, implied mental health issues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:47:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670862</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadja_Lee/pseuds/Nadja_Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec once told Magnus that he would die without Jace. When Jace dies and comes back Magnus thinks everything is fine. Years pass, they marry and have kids. Life is good…until Jace dies in battle. Magnus thought the past had proved Alec could survive without his parabatai, without half his soul. But can you really live with half your soul missing?<br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alec Lightwood &amp; Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>310</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Hunter's Moon 500 Prompts</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Distance Between Souls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polarnacht/gifts">Polarnacht</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks so much to my amazing beta readers: Cindy and Monochromatize.<br/>Thanks so much to Regina for the great art.<br/>For the 500 word prompt distance<br/>For Polarnacht who wanted a soul bond to truly matter! And if parabarai exists then it would <b>have</b> to matter!<br/><b>Story warnings: implied madness, implied character death, implied death by demon/Suicide by demon, goodbye note.</b><br/><b><i>Did you READ the TAGS? Yes? Still good? Proceed. Else run off NOW. The tags are there for a reason! Don't read stories with dark, sensitive or hard topics YOU are not ready or willing to deal with. </i></b></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>Magnus and Alec had married years ago and adopted children. Life had been great.</p><p>Then Jace had been killed. Alec had been devastated beyond words.</p><p>When Alec had told Magnus that he would die without Jace Magnus had feared he meant it literally. Could a body survive without half its soul? But Valentine had. Luke had too; claiming becoming a Downworlder had saved him from the effects.</p><p>So Magnus thought Alec just needed time. Being immortal Magnus knew there was nothing to do but to bear the unbearable and move on.</p><p>The last few days Alec had seemed a lot happier. They had made love, visited friends and family, hung out with the kids.</p><p>Magnus exited a portal in their house and looked around for Alec. He had asked him to come at this specific time to be alone together. He remembered their morning together; so filled with love, sex, tenderness….enough to last several lifetimes.</p><p>He got a bad feeling when he spotted a letter on the dining table and next to it…Alec’s wedding ring. He picked up the ring and held it tight as he read the letter.</p><p>
  <em>My beloved husband, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I tried to live after Jace for you, for the children. I can’t. I’m without half my soul. I can feel the same madness that destroyed Valentine tear at me. I never want to become like that. I want to die as I lived. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Don’t blame yourself; I make this choice for me. You couldn’t live without your magic or your immortality for me. I can’t live without Jace, without half my soul. That doesn’t lessen our love. It makes it real. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I shall always love you. Remember me fondly but find love again. Find happiness again. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I have left letters for the children and everyone else. They're in the top drawer of my desk. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> As you read this, I have left to fight a battle I know I can’t win. I go unafraid. I know I will be reunited with Jace in Heaven. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I worry for you. Be angry, mourn… but move on and love again. You <strong>deserve</strong> love. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I remain your loving husband forever, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Alexander Lightwood-Bane </em>
</p><p>The Heavens crashed and burned as Magnus realized he had lost him.</p><p>And he <em> was </em> angry. He even hated Alec for a while. Then as time passed, he understood, and he mourned.</p><p>With Alec’s wedding ring hanging from a chain around his neck Magnus did what he knew he had to do; he continued living, the ring a reminder of the Nephilim he had loved and who had loved him back, his husband from times gone by.</p><p>As the centuries passed the pain lessened until one day Magnus could do what Alec had asked of him; he could love again.</p><p>In Heaven Alec watched his husband with a soft smile as Magnus moved on, his parabatai by his side.</p><p>All things fade but Alec’s love never did; even across the distance of life and death, Heaven and Hell.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please leave a comment or a kudos if you enjoyed the story.<br/>I have turned off anon comments as clearly some people can't read tags! Now play nice in the fucking sandbox, children! This is AO3! 30 years ago there was no tags or warnings or anything; we are lucky we have these things so USE THEM.</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26714221">The Difference Between Surviving and Living</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polarnacht/pseuds/Polarnacht">Polarnacht</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
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